Electric lamp and mounting therefor



May 5, 1936. J. *i'. FAGAN ET AL 2,039,953

. ELECTRIC LAMP AND MOUNTING THEREFOR Filed ,June 14, 1933 I 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 [WENTUR 5 JUHN T FA E/IN JUHNFDUNU I/AN .FRANK JMALL UY' THEIR. ATTJANEY y 5, 1936. J. 1-. FA'GAN ET AL 2,039,953

ELECTRIC LAMP AND MOUNTING THEREFOR Filed June 14, 1933 s Sheets-Sheet z [AZYZ'NTUBS JUHN T FA EAN JUHNFDUNU VAN FR A K JMALL a? THZIZA Arrunzsr21 y 1936. J. T. FAGAN ET AL 2,039,953

ELECTRIC LAMP AND MOUNTING THEREFOR Filed June 14, 1935 :s sheets-sheet JUHNF FUND I/AN FF. ANK JMAL L 0? THEIR ATTURNEY JDHN T FA 5AM Patented May 5, 1936 PATEN OFFICE ELECTRIC LAlVIP AND MOUNTING THEREFOR John T. Fagan,

Cleveland Heights, John F.

Donovan, East Cleveland, and Frank J. Malloy, University Heights, Ohio, assignors to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Application June 14, 1933, Serial No. 675,66@

2 Claims.

Our invention relates to electric lamps and mountings therefor and is especially adaptable and useful in cases where the light source should occupy a definite relation with some associated part or structure, such as a reflector or lens. The invention is of particular advantage for projection lamps such as vehicle headlamps in which an incandescent lamp is mounted in a reflector such as the well-known paraboloid reflector.

In headlamps as at present constructed, the lamp is mounted by inserting its base in a tubular bayonet socket which is'itself mounted in an opening at the apex of the reflector, with suitable provisions for adjusting the socket relative to the reflector to properly focus the light source of the lamp. While this arrangement permits easy removal and replacement of a lamp as well as accurate focusing, yet it is mechanically complicated, and often liable to derangements which allow the lamp to shift out of focus.

To overcome these disadvantages of present practice we prefer to mount the lamp base more directly on the reflector, without the intervention of a socket and adjusting means therefor. This we do in such a way that when a given lamp is once properly focused in a reflector, this adjustment becomes permanently fixed, although the particular lamp can still be removed and replaced as often as desired. In this way, we are able to dispense with the usual socket, as well as with its focusing mechanism.

For removably mounting the lamp, we provide its base with engagement means adapted to en gage in a definite and fixed relation with an accurately located part or engagement means of the reflector, provision being made for holding said base and reflector engagement means in proper engagement, preferably by spring pressure. This requires, of course, that the engagement means on the base be properly adjusted and fixed, relative to the light source. This may be accomplished by extreme accuracy in the basing of the lampor by embodying the engagement means of the lamp in a separate part or adapter which is properly adjusted on the base in focusing and fixed thereto,as by soldering. The lamp is mounted by inserting its base in an opening at the apex of the reflector, the lamp' engagement means being held against the reflector by novel spring actuated means. An important feature of our invention is the provision of a flange or collar on the lamp base havinga diameter substantially equal to that of an an nular recess or hollow boss at the apex of the reflector in which said flange or collar is seated to center the lamp in the axis of the reflector, the longitudinal position of the lamp being fixed by the engagement of the back of the flange or collar, or protuberances thereon, with a portion of the reflector, preferably a plane transverse portion at the apex thereof. Holding means are provided for holding said collar firmly in said recess or boss. Further features and advantages of our invention will appear from the following description of species thereof.

In the drawings, Fig. l is a section through a form of headlamp reflector and mounting comprising our invention; Fig. 2 is a front view of the reflector; Fig. 3 is a disassembled View of the parts of the mounting; Fig. 4 is a front view of a lamp base adapter; Fig. 5 is a rear view of spring actuated holding means; Fig. 6 is a section through a modified form of headlamp reflector and mounting; Fig. 7 is a rear view thereof; Fig. 8 is a front view of the reflector; Fig. 9 is a disassembled view of the various parts of the mounting; Fig. 10 is a front view of a lamp terminal member; Fig. 11 is a front view of a. lamp base adapter; Fig. 12 is a section through another modified form of headlamp reflector and mounting; Fig. 13 is a rear view thereof; Fig. 14 is a front view of the reflector; Fig. 15 is a disassembled view of the various parts of the mounting; Fig. 16 is a front view of a lamp base adapter; and Fig. 17 is a front view of an adapter shell.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 8, the lamp it comprises a bulb l l having a, filament l2 sealed therein. A base it comprising a tubular shell is is mounted on said bulb it and carries a terminal pin it mounted in insulating material it and protruding beyond the end of said base. An adapter ii is mounted on the base shell i l. Said adapter ll comprises a metal collar preferably provided with three protuberances or lugs it raised upon the back surface thereof and having a slot is at the periphery thereof. The adapter it is slipped over the base shell Ml after the lamp to has been otherwise completed and is adjusted axially, longitudinally and angularly, until the surfaces of the lugs l8 bear a definite predetermined relation with the filament l2 and the slot It bears a definite angular relation therewith, after which the said adapter is soldered to said base, the solder being preferably applied in the recesses formed by the said lugs it. v

The apex of the reflector ill comprises anannular recess or hollow boss 2| of substantially the same diameter as the lamp base flange or collar and a flattened or plane transverse portion or flange 22, the front surface of which constitutes a seating surface for the said lamp base flange or I collar and is accurately located with respect to flange portion 22 of said reflector.

the focal point. The base l3 of the lamp is inserted in a hole 23' at the apex of the reflector; the collar ll enters and is centralized in the recess or boss 2| and the lugs 18 bear against the surface of, the internal transversely extending The lamp is located angularly by the engagement of the slot l9 in the adapter H with a forwardly projecting lug 24 formed at the margin of the hole 23 in the reflector.

The lamp I9 is held in the reflector by springy locking fingers 25 which engage the adapter I! at the periphery thereof. The forward edges of said fingers 25 extend through slots 26 at the margin of the plane portion 22 of the reflector and the rear ends of said fingers are joined by an annular collar portion 21. The said fingers 25 are held on the reflector by-engagement of lugs 28 thereon with rearwardly and outwardly bent retaining lugs 29 at the margin of the hole 23. The fingers 25 are provided with rearwardly inclined surfaces 39 at the tips thereof, so that when the lamp I0 is inserted, the periphery of the adapter I1 engages said inclined surfaces 38 and. acts to separate the ends of the fingers until the rear edge of said incline 30 is reached, after which the said adapter is engaged by forwardly inclined surfaces 3|, allowingthe fingers 25 to close in and hold the lamp firmly in place. To withdraw the lamp, it is merely necessary to pull forward on the bulb Ii, whereupon the reverse action takes place. In the form of lamp shown, the base shell l4 and adapter l'l form one terminal while the pin [5 forms another terminal, connection being made thereto by any suitable means, for instance, a helical coil connector such as disclosed in U. S. patent application, Serial No. 663,357, Geiger, filed March 29, 1933. 1

In the modified construction shown in Figs. 6 to 11, the lamp 32 is assembled in the following manner. A tubular inner shell 33 is slipped over the end of a bulb 34 (Fig. 9). A tubular outer shell 35 having a collar or flange 96 at its forward end is then slipped over the inner shell 33. The outer shell 35 is then adjusted longitudinally and axially until the rear surface of the flange 36. bears a definite predetermined relation with the filament 31 and it is also adjusted angularly until a lug 38 formed at the periphery of the flange 36 also bears the correct position with respect to the said filament. A quantity of sealing cement 39 (Fig. 6) is then placed in the inner shell 33 and a terminal pin 48 carrying an insulating'disc 4| is inserted and acts as a plunger to force the cement around the end of the bulb 34 and through a slot 42 in shell 33 to fill the space between said inner shell 33 and the outer shell 35. The disc 4| has a pair of slots 43 therein, allowing cement to pass by it in an amount suflicient to secure it rigidly in place. One of the leading-in wires 44 passes through the hollow pin 48 and is soldered to the end thereof, while the other leading-in wire 45 is brought out between the shells 33, 35 through a slot 46 in said shell 33 and soldered to the end thereof.

The apex of the refiector'4'l comprises an annular recess or hollow base 48 (Fig. 9) and a flattened or plane internal flange portion 49, the

front surface of which is accurately located with shell comprising a cylindrical portion 52 having a flange 53 at the rear end thereof is mounted on the lugs 59 and secured thereto by brazing or riveting or other suitable means. The said shell 52 serves as a holder and pivot for a plurality of locking fingers 54 which are located in slots 55 in the flange 53. The said fingers 54 are pivotally mounted by means of slots 56 therein which engage the portions 51 (Fig. 6) of the flange 53 at the inner edge of slots 55. Said fingers 54 are held against the shell 52 by a coil spring 58 surrounding said fingers and shell and exerting a strong contracting force thereupon. The forward ends of fingers 54 extend through slots 59 in thereflector and comprise rearwardly and forwardly inclined faces 68 and 6| similar to the faces 30 and 3| of fingers 25 in Fig. 3. Insertion of the lamp 32 is accomplished, as in the mounting in Fig. 1, by merely inserting the base thereof in the hole 5| in the reflector and pushing the flange '36 on the said base into engagement with the fingers 54, the lug 38 on said flange 36 being inserted in the slot 62 (Fig. 8) produced by the forming of the corresponding ing 50. Said slot 62, with its corresponding lug 50 are preferably made wider than the other two lugs 58 and their slots, and lug 38 in flange 36 is made to fit said slot 62 only, to assure the correct angular positioning of the lamp. It is, of course, obvious that the form of lamp III of Fig. 3 may be .used instead of the lamp 32.

In the modified structure shown in Figs. 12 to 17, the lamp 63 is identical to the lamp 32 of Fig. 9' except that a slot 64 is provided in the flange 65 in place of the lug 38 on flange 36 of the latter lamp.

The reflector 66 comprises a recess or hollow boss 61 for centralizing the flange 65 and aplane internal flange portion 68 at the apex thereof. A cylindrical shell 69 having a flange 10 at the front edge is inserted in a hole 1| at the apex of the reflector, the flange I8 engaging the plane portion 68 and being held thereagainst by a re- .taining spring I2 at the back of the reflector.

projections 18 on the lugs 16. The ends of forwardly and downwardly bent spring fingers 19, extending radially from the abutment plates 13, engage the back of the reflector and serve to pull the flange'lll of shell 69 firmly against the surface 68 of the reflector. Slots 89 are provided at the margin of the hole ||.in the reflector to permit passage of the lugs I6, on shell 69 as well as a slot 8| which engages with a lug 82 to lock the said shell in place. A plurality of retaining fingers 83 are pivotally mounted by means of slots 84 therein on spring fingers 85 on the retaining spring 12. The rear ends of fingers 83 extend through slots 86 in said fingers 85 while the front ends extend through slots 81 in the reflector 66. The forwardly extending sides of retaining fingers 83 and exert an inward pressure thereon. The front ends of retaining fingers 83 are provided with rearwardly and forwardly inclined surfaces 88-89 similar to faces 393| of the fingers 25 of Fig. 3 and function in the same'mannerl The slot 64 in flange 65 of the lamp 63 engages 'a forwardly projecting lug 99 on flange I0 of shell 68to assure the corends of the looped fingers 85 engage the outer rect angular positioning of the lamp. e said flange 65 being held against the flange III by the retaining fingers 83.

What we claim as new and desire to secure 1) Letters Patent in the United States is:

1. The combination of a reflector having a lamp base opening therein, a lamp comprising a basehaving a collar thereon engaging a portion of the inner surface of the reflector, and a pinrality of spring actuated engagement fingers distributed around said lamp base opening of said reflector, said fingers engaging the periphery of said lamp base collar and pressing it against said reflector and being radially movable to allow ,insertion of said collar against said reflector.

2. The combination of a reflector having a lamp base opening therein, a lamp comprising a base having a collar thereon engaging a portion of the inner surface of the reflector, and a plurality of spring actuated engagement fingers distributed about said lamp base opening of said reflector, said fingers having projections on the inner surface thereof engaging with said lamp base collar upon insertion of said collar against said reflector, causing said fingers to move radially outward and subsequently clamp said collar against said reflector.

JOHN T. FAGAN. JOHN F. DONOVAN. FRANK J. MALLOY. 

